Baselining Current Road Weather Information: Summary Report

This report summarizes the findings derived from research on establishing metrics to measure and track the quality and value of road weather information resources as assessed by members of the surface transportation community who use this information routinely in their decision-making process. The objectives were the establishment of a baseline measure of current road weather information, the development of strategies for an ongoing monitoring program, and the exposition of anticipated outcomes derived from a well-defined method for tracking and comparing the character of road weather information resources. The research evaluated the existing sources of road weather information and the methods used by departments of transportation (DOT) to disseminate this information for both internal and external consumption. DOTs acquire road weather information for multiple decision-making or subsequent decision-supporting purposes, and thereby develop a keen sense of the level to which the road weather resource information meets their needs. A set of six attributes was developed to measure the quality and value of road weather. The road weather information resources were separated into product types and basic weather elements representing the discrete packages weather service providers disseminate to the DOTs. The baseline assessment of quality was accomplished through an online survey executed by surface transportation personnel who routinely use road weather information as part of their daily operations. The report details the organization of the data into a quality attribute matrix and discusses the results from the survey. User responses within quality attribute classes illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of specific products and weather elements both by attribute and in comparison to other products and elements. The research team evaluated the results, their implication regarding specific resources, and the user feedback regarding the survey. All of these results were evaluated as a basis for an ongoing quality characterization monitoring program. The research team then evaluated appropriate time intervals for ongoing testing and potential impacts on the monitoring process and proposed a strategy for implementing a regular quality assessment monitoring process. What was learned from the baseline survey project also served as the basis for a projection of anticipated outcomes from an ongoing road weather quality monitoring program.